Device and process for gas removal from liquids



Aug. 25, 1970 u. BR-IESKORN 3,

DEVICE-AND PROCESS FOR GAS REMOVAL FROM LIQUIDS Filed Sept. 10, 1968(xcss) PRISSl/RE W. W

[N VEN TOR zn'eslrar B Y United States Patent many Filed Sept. 10, 1968,Ser. No. 758,813 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 13, 1967,1,619,926 Int. Cl. B01d 19/00 US. Cl. 55-52 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A device for removing air or gases from flowing liquids inparticular in heated water circuits includes an inner preferably tubularhousing having inlet and outlet openings of about the same diameter asthe flow lines surrounded by a housing of larger diameter, the innerhousing being provided with an opening in the region of the upper flowpath upstream and another opening near the lower flow path downstream.Vent gases are exhausted by an upper opening of the larger diameterhousing which is preferably connected with an expansion chamber providedwith a pressure relief valve. In the process for deaerating or degassingliquids the liquid flow is moved through the inner housing along theopenings thereby allowing air or gas to escape by the upstream openingand discharged fluid to re-enter by the downstream opening of the innerhousing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Devices for deaerating and degassingrespectively of liquids are known whiech comprise means for passing theliquid which has been subjected to centrifugal forces into a dischargechamber for vent gases having peiforated inner walls. The perforatedwalls extend archlike thus increasing the cross sectional area wherebythe flow rate of the liquid decreases. Means may be provided to forcethe liquid through a narrow path before entering the vent dischargechamber. A disadvantage of such devices consists in the necessity tolead the total amount of liquid a different path thereby decreasing itsflow rate. Substantial loss of energy is encountered with subjecting theliquid to centrifugal forces. The vent discharge chambers are rathercomplicated and bulkily constructed and have substantial space demand.

Another known cup-shaped air separating device for liquids comprises abase plate provided with a centrally located inlet opening and an outletopening and a demountable jacket arranged to said base plate, the jacketbeing provided with an air exhaust. The jacket extends above a divergingorifice mounted to the central inlet of said base plate. The orifice isprovided with a flanged edge at the flow exit and is covered at adistance by a cover having a flanged rim which extends parallel to theflanged edge of the orifice exit. A number of air passage tubes extendthrough the cover rim outside the exit of the orifice along theperiphery of the cover. This device has the same disadvantages mentionedabove.

3,525,196 Patented Aug. 25, 1970 ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Theinvention relates to a device for removing gas from liquids inparticular for deaeration and degasification respectively of water inheated water circuits of heating systems and cooling installations forinternal combustions engines in particular in motor vehicles, and to aprocess for removing gas from liquids in particular in such systems.

It is an object of the invention to provide for a device and processbeing extremely well suitedto remove gas or air from liquids in systemswith a minimum of space required. The device according to the inventionis of simple but elfective construction and operates without anymaintenance.

In accordance with the invention a device for removing air or gases fromflowing liquids comprises an inner housing having inlet and outletopenings of about the same diameter as the flow lines connectedtherewith, said inner housing being surrounded by an outer housinghaving a larger diameter, said inner housing being provided with anopening in the region of the upper flow path upstream and anotheropening near the lower flow path downstream.

According to a further feature of the invention any flow resistance isprevented by providing the device with a straight continuous tube as theinner housing. The tube may be provided with hose connections to allowthe hose tips being connected adjacent to the joints of the outerhousing with the inner housing, if desired.

A further feature of the device according to the invention provides anexit opening for gas and liquid in the region of the upper flow path ofthe inner housing which is larger than the opening in the region of thelower flow path. The gas exit opening may reach up to a point below anexhaust opening for vent gases provided in the outer housing. The ventgas opening of the outer housing is preferably connected to an expansionchamber provided with a pressure relief valve.

The process for removing gases according to the invention comprisesmoving a liquid stream such as a stream of a liquid coolant mediumwithout changing its cross sectional area through an enlarged housing oflarger diameter along an opening in the region of the upper flow pathserving as an opening for venting gas and some liquid and further alonganother opening in the region of the lower flow path serving as are-entry opening for the liquid which has collected in the outerhousing.

In the process according to the invention gas bubbles are vented throughthe opening in the region of the upper flow path and pass the outerhousing and the exhaust opening provided therein. If further gas isenclosed in the liquid this gas is eliminated from the liquid flowdischarged from the first opening upstream in the region of the upperflow path by conveying said secondary flow along a helical path at theouter wall of the inner housing to the second opening in the region ofthe lower flow path with reduced flow rate. This liquid flow re-entersthe main stream through the second opening. A further degassing effectis reached by the stemming of liquid at the downstream joint bet-weenthe inner and the outer housing.

3 An embodiment of the device according to the invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings which are described in detail in thefollowing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating a device for removing gasfrom liquids comprising an inner housing and an outer housing inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the device for removing gas of FIG. 1in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the inner housing of the device ofFIG. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing structure similar to that ofFIG. 1 though modified so that eccentricity of location of inner andouter housings results in space above the inner housing being greaterthan space below the inner housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 the devicein accordance with the invention comprises an inner housing which in theembodiment shown consists of a straight continuous tube having acircular cross section. The diameter of tube 10 corresponds to thediameter of the connecting lines (not shown).

The inner housing 10 is provided with an inlet socket 11 and an outletsocket 12 for liquid flow. Both sockets 11 and 12 are preferably shapedto allow a liquid-proof connection to hoses which are shoved over thesockets and connected therewith.

The inner housing 10 is surrounded by an outer housing 13 having alarger diameter, the outer housing 13 being connected tightly with theinner housing in order to prevent gas and liquid from escaping.Depending upon the materials used for construction both housings areconnected by welding, soldering, or glueing, or the like. The assemblyis shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3 the inner housing '10 is provided with an opening 16in the upper region of the flow path and with an opening 17 in the lowerregion of the flow path of the liquid. The upper exit opening 16 islarger than the lower re-entry opening 17. During operation in the uppersection of the flow path gas and some liquid is vented through opening16 whereas completely degassed liquid enters re-entry opening 17.

Gases which have been collected within space 18 between the innerhousing 10 and the outer housing 13 are exhausted by exhaust opening 19on the top of the outer housing 13 and flow through a line to a simpleexpansion chamber provided with a pressure valve and an overflow line.Gas or air is gathered above the level of liquid within the expansionchamber and is finally vented.

The liquid flows in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 13.Preferably the device is connected horizontally into the main flow linewhich should desirably run horizontally before entering the device. Inthis section a separation of pure liquid and gas enriched liquid cantake place. Pure liquid flows unafiected as a core flow through innerhousing 10 whereas the liquid enriched with gas forms a secondary flowwhich escapes through opening 16 and releases air or gas within space18. The degassing effect is increased by the formation of a secondaryliquid flow around inner housing 10 having a reduced flow rate becausethe opening 17 for re-entry of liquid is smaller than exit opening 16. Afurther increase of the degassing effect is reached by the accumulationof liquid at the connecting joint of the front wall of the outer housing13 with the inner housing 10.

The device according to the invention is particularly useful in coolantcircuits of internal combustion engines because these circuitsfrequently form leaks, for instance, in the region of the cylinder heador at porous places of the cast metal of the crankshaft housing thuscausing enrichment of cooling water with gases and air respectively.This reduces the effectiveness of the coolant circuit and of the heatingsystem of the vehicle connected therewith.

The device according to the invention is not limited to the exampleshown in the drawings. For instance, the inner housing can be replacedby the flow circuit pipe itself which is lead through the outer housing13 and connected therewith at joints 14 and 15. The pipe must then beinterrupted by openings 16 and 17. According to a further embodyment ofthe invention the outer housing 13 can be made of rubber if the innerhousing or coolant circuit pipe 10 consists of rubber. It may then bepossible to shove the outer housing 13 onto the inner housing or pipe 10and to connect both firmly at joints 14 and 15. This embodiment resultsin substantial savings in weight and material as well as in easierassembly of the device.

It may also be possible to provide more than one exit and re-entryopenings within the region of the upper and lower flow paths.

FIG. 4 illustrates structure similar to that described with FIG. 1 andtherefore correspondingly numbered structures identified by referencenumerals with primes can be seen illustrating the eccentric relationshipof inner and outer housings resulting in space above the inner housingbeing greater than space below the inner housing.

What is claimed is:

1. Device for removing air or gases from flowing liquids, in particularin heated water circuits comprising an inner housing of about the samediameter as the flow lines connected therewith, said inner housing beingsurrounded by an outer housing having a larger diameter, said innerhousing provided with an opening in the region of the upper flow pathupstream and another opening near the lower flow path downstream.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said inner housing is shapedas a straight continuous tube.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said opening in the region ofthe upper flow path has larger dimensions than said opening in theregion of the lower flow path.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said opening in the region ofthe upper flow path reaches up to a point below an exhaust opening forvent gases being provided in said outer housing.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said outer housing isconcentrically surrounding said inner housing.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said outer housing iseccentrically surrounding said inner housing thus forming a space abovesaid inner housing which is greater than the space below said innerhousing.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said outer housing isprovided with a vent gas opening connected to an expansion chamber, andin which a pressure relief valve is associated with said expansionchamber.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner and outer housingsare connected to each other by joints and wherein said inner housing isprovided with inlet and outlet hose fittings adapted for connectinghoses therewith by slipping the hose tipsover said fittings up to pointsadjacent to the joints of said inner and outer housing.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said inner housing isreplaced by a liquid flow pipe, said pipe is connected to said outerhousing and provided with said openings in the upper and lower regionsof flow paths.

10. A process for removing gases in particular in heated water circuitscomprising the steps of moving a gas-enriched liquid stream withoutchanging its cross sectional area through a housing along an opening inthe region of the upper flow path of said liquid stream, said openingserving as an opening for venting gas and some liquid, and moving saidliquid stream further along another opening in the region of the lowerflow path, said opening serving as re-entry opening for said liquid.

11. A process as claimed in claim 10 in which part of the gas enrichedliquid stream is conveyed along a helical path on the outer surface ofthe wall of said inner housing from said opening in the region of theupper flow path to said other opening in the region of the lower fiowpath, said part of the liquid stream being made to re-entry the core ofthe liquid stream with reduced fiow rate.

12. A process as claimed in claim 11 in which said part of the liquidstream is penned at the front Wall of an outer housing surrounding saidinner housing in the region of the joints between said outer housing andsaid inner housing before re-entry into said opening in the region ofthe lower flow path.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1965 Verdura et a1 55159 US.Cl. X.R.

